The Edinburgh South by-elections were two parliamentary

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

s held for the House of Commons constituency of Edinburgh South in the Scottish capital in January and February 1886. It was the latest occurrence of two by-elections in the same constituency in the same year until the

1990 Bootle by-elections Two Bootle by-elections were held during 1990, for the House of Commons constituency of Bootle in Merseyside. Bootle was one of the Labour Party's safest seats, having held the seat since 1945. May by-election The first by-election was caused by ...

Vacancy

Under the provisions of the

Succession to the Crown Act 1707 The Succession to the Crown Act 1707 (6 Ann c 41) is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of Great Britain. It is still partly in force in Great Britain. The Act was passed at a time when Parliament was anxious to ensure the succession of a P ...

and a number of subsequent

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, MPs appointed to certain ministerial and legal offices were at this time required to seek re-election.< The by-election in Edinburgh South was caused by the appointment of the sitting

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

MP, Hugh Childers as

Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national ...

Candidates

Childers had been the MP for Edinburgh South for just a few days when he had to resign to seek re-election. He had won the seat on 29 January 1886 in a by-election occasioned by the death of Sir George Harrison who had been elected as an Independent Liberal at the 1885 general election. At the by-election, Childers beat his Conservative challenger, Walter George Hepburne-Scott, 9th Lord Polwarth, taking 70% of the poll. Before being selected for Edinburgh South, Childers had been MP for

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in the

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since 1860 but had lost the seat narrowly at the 1885 general election. Childers also had a distinguished government career behind him by 1886 having been, amongst other posts he held, First Lord of the Admiralty,

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and

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in previous Liberal administrations. The

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for the by-election was moved in Parliament on 4 February by Arnold Morley, who went on to be the new government’s

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, along with a number of writs for other seats involving newly appointed

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in Gladstone's third administration. These included Gladstone himself, Joseph Chamberlain,

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and Henry Campbell-Bannerman amongst others. Having been so roundly beaten so recently in the constituency, the Tories did not wish to contest Childers’ appointment to the government and there being no other nominations, Childers was returned unopposed.''The Times'', 10 February 1886, p10

January results

February results

References